How to Choose Throw Pillows That Actually Look Good

Throw pillows are the cheapest way to change a room and the easiest thing to get slightly wrong. Two rules fix most of it.

Buy the insert one size up

This is the single biggest reason shop pillows look plump and home pillows look sad. A 20 in cover needs a 22 in insert. An 18 in cover needs a 20 in. The overfill is what gives you the karate chop dent and the full corners. A same size insert leaves the corners empty within a week.

Common sizes and where they go

• 18 in square: the default, works on almost any sofa
• 20 to 22 in square: for deep or oversized sofas, use as the back layer
• 24 in square: floor cushions and very deep sectionals
• 12 by 20 in lumbar: for lower back support and to break up a row of squares
• 16 in square: armchairs and small settees

Odd numbers, mixed sizes

Three or five pillows on a standard sofa, not four in a symmetrical row. A common formula is two large at the outer ends, two mid size inside them, one lumbar in the centre. On a loveseat, two large plus one lumbar is plenty.

Mix pattern by scale, not by colour alone

Pick one large scale pattern, one small scale pattern and one solid or textured neutral, all sharing at least one colour. Three patterns at the same scale fight each other. Texture counts as a pattern, so a chunky knit or a boucle can take one of the three slots.

Why they go flat, and what to do

• Polyester inserts compress fastest and are hardest to revive. Best for low use rooms.
• Feather and down inserts flatten daily but fluff back with a shake, which is why hotels use them.
• Feather and down alternative sits in between and suits anyone avoiding feathers.
• Whatever the fill, fluff and rotate weekly, and air them in sunlight a few times a year.

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